కోడలు కొట్టిన కుండ కొత్త కుండ, అత్త కొట్టిన కుండ అడుగోటి కుండ.

kodalu kottina kunda kotta kunda, atta kottina kunda adugoti kunda.

Translation

The pot broken by the daughter-in-law is a new pot, while the pot broken by the mother-in-law is a worthless pot.

Meaning

This proverb highlights double standards and hypocrisy in judging actions. It refers to how people often exaggerate the mistakes of others (the daughter-in-law) while minimizing or making excuses for their own or their favorites' mistakes (the mother-in-law).

Related Phrases

The pot broken by the mother-in-law was a cracked pot, the pot broken by the daughter-in-law was a new pot.

This proverb highlights double standards and hypocrisy in judgment. It describes a situation where the same mistake is viewed differently depending on who committed it. If someone in a superior position (like a mother-in-law) makes a mistake, it is dismissed as insignificant, but if a subordinate (like a daughter-in-law) makes the same mistake, it is exaggerated and treated as a major offense.

Striking and striking, but striking in the side.

This expression describes a situation where someone waits for a long time to act, or makes a great effort, only to make a critical mistake or perform the action at the wrong time/place. It is used to highlight a significant failure or a blunder after much anticipation or effort.

It is rare for a pot that has collapsed to be restored.

This expression signifies that once something is completely ruined, lost, or once a person's reputation is destroyed, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to restore it to its original state. It is used to caution against negligence or to describe the permanent nature of certain failures.

Because the rice was not cooked, he smashed the pot.

This expression is used to describe a person who reacts with disproportionate anger or irrationality to a minor problem, ending up causing a bigger loss for themselves. It highlights how someone might destroy the very tool they need just because it didn't yield immediate results.

The pot the daughter-in-law broke was a new one; the pot the mother-in-law broke was a patched-up one.

This proverb highlights human hypocrisy and double standards in judging mistakes. It describes a situation where people exaggerate the mistakes of others (the daughter-in-law's mistake is seen as destroying something brand new) while making excuses for their own or their favorites' mistakes (the mother-in-law's broken pot is dismissed as having been old and already broken). It is used to point out unfair bias and blame-shifting.

Hit in such a way that the stick doesn't break and the snake doesn't die.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a problem needs to be solved or a task accomplished without causing any damage or loss to the parties involved. It refers to finding a diplomatic or clever middle ground where the objective is achieved while maintaining perfect balance and avoiding negative consequences.

Beats from the husband are publicized to the whole village, while beats from a lover are seen as strings of pearls.

This proverb highlights human hypocrisy and selective bias. It describes a situation where a person complains loudly about the small faults of someone they are supposed to be with (like a spouse), but willingly ignores or even finds beauty in the significant abuses of someone they are infatuated with. It is used to mock people who have double standards based on their personal likes and dislikes.

If the mother-in-law breaks it, it's an old pot; if the daughter-in-law breaks it, it's a new pot.

This proverb describes double standards and hypocrisy in judging actions based on who performs them. It is used when a person in authority or power excuses their own mistakes as trivial or unavoidable while magnifying the same mistakes made by subordinates or others.

Can the one who hit the daughter-in-law not hit the mother-in-law?

This expression means that a person who is capable of committing a minor offense or mistreating a specific person is also capable of committing a bigger offense or attacking someone in a higher position. It is used to warn that once a person crosses a boundary of decency or law, no one is safe from their behavior.

When asked to blow the fire, he broke the pot which was on it. To do much harm when asked to do a little favor.

This expression describes a situation where a person, when asked to perform a simple task or help out, ends up causing significant damage or making the situation much worse due to incompetence, arrogance, or lack of common sense.